Review: Kiss Me Back by Sidney Halston

The only thing hotter than the Miami sun is the sexual tension at Panic, the South Beach nightclub where love knows no boundaries.

Lola: I’ve seen the way women in line behind the velvet rope look at William Fox, like he’s an Armani-clad St. Peter at the pearly gates. Except Panic isn’t heaven, and this bouncer is no saint. He’s been tempting me to sin ever since I started working here, but Fox’s slick smile and bad-boy swagger tell me everything I need to know about him. Still, a girl has needs. And Fox looks ready to fulfill every last one—at least for a night. . . .

Fox: I’m not used to being ignored—especially by women—but Lola Daye is different. The pretty bartender with the red lips and icy blue eyes seems perfectly happy pretending I don’t exist. Too bad, because the more she ignores me, the harder I fall. So I’m floored when she answers my drunken, flirty text with a yes. Lola claims she only wants a fling, but after one kiss, our bodies are speaking the same language. And I’m ready to prove that what we have could be forever.

No cheating. No cliffhangers. And no dress code.

Sidney Halston’s Panic series is one of my all-time favorites; she gives you unforgettable characters who each have hardships that bring a unique setting to the overall theme of the books. She pulls you in and hooks you from the start. Kiss Me Back, Panic 3 is amazingly well written with both main characters being as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside.

“I know you can handle it. I know you’re fine. But it’s okay to let me help. It’s not because I don’t think you can do it. It’s just to make your life a little easier.”

Kiss Me Back is is Fox’s story. He works security at Panic so you’ll definitely see some of the main characters from previous novels, which makes this book all the better for me. Fox has so many layers to him and it was so fun to peel back each one to find the beautifully sweet man underneath. He’s genuine and cares a lot more than he lets on; I gravitated toward him immediately because I just knew there was more than his need to be flashy.

Lola is strong willed and has her life all planned out. She came from humble beginnings and she’s had to work for everything that she’s ever had. Her personality was contagious…I loved everything about her. She has an air of vulnerability, but on the outside she’s as hard as nails. The way Halston maneuvered Lola’s secret had even me pretty shocked; it was brilliantly executed and you never see it coming. It’s like this with most of the Panic series for me…Halston throws you into this world where nothing is perfect and sometimes the main characters’ insecurities and/or disabilities is the one thing that makes them one of the strongest characters I’ve ever read about. Lola is someone I’d really want as a friend..she’s skittish but once she warms up, she’s a pretty awesome person.

Lola and Fox’s relationship is just like the characters…full of layers that will leave you breathless and wanting more. The beginning started off rough, but once they let that spark happen they couldn’t get enough of one another. Overall, I loved their relationship; Fox was amazing with Lola and Lola gives Fox what he’s been so desperately missing from his life. They fit perfectly and Halston brings out how uniquely beautiful they are as a couple through their playfulness and, at times, intensity for each other.

I loved Kiss Me Back just as hard as I loved the previous two books in this series! Perfect! Perfect! Perfect!